Aspen To Acquire Merck Assets

Aspen Pharmacare, a generic drug company based in Johannesburg, plans to acquire drug assets and a plant from Merck in a transaction valued at approximately $1 billion. The transaction would include an API business in the Netherlands and a portfolio of 11 Merck drug brands, expanding Aspen’s presence in Europe, Latin America and Asia. According to a statement by Aspen, the deal is subject to the approval of various competition authorities and the South African Reserve Bank.
 
The company also announced plans to acquire the Arixtra and Fraxiparine/Fraxodi brands of thrombosis drugs from GlaxoSmithKline, except in China, Pakistan and India, in a transaction also valued at $1 billion.